A Democrat staffer for anti-gun Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) has been arrested for bringing ammunition into the U.S. Capitol building on Monday morning.
In a statement to Fox News, the U.S. Capitol Police explained that the ammunition was found during a routine screening to enter the Cannon House Office Building.
“At approximately 8:45 a.m., a House staffer entered the Cannon House Office Building and put his bag through screening. USCP officers noticed what appeared to be ammunition on the x-ray screen,” the statement read.
“After a hand search of the bag, officers found four ammunition magazines and eleven rounds of ammunition. The staffer told the officers that he forgot the ammunition was in the bag,” the Capitol Police’s statement continued.
The staffer, 38-year-old Michael Hopkins, will be facing several charges for the incident, including unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of a high-capacity magazine.
Congressman Morelle’s office issued a statement about the incident, though the Democrat lawmaker did not directly condemn his staffer’s actions.
“This morning, our office was informed that a member of our staff was arrested by Capitol Police. We are currently gathering more information regarding the circumstances of the arrest. Our office is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation. As Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration, Congressman Morelle is devoted to ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all,” Morelle’s chief of staff wrote in the statement, according to Rochester First.
The lack of condemnation was especially shocking considering the fact that Morelle is an anti-gun legislator who has voted on numerous occasions to stifle the American peoples’ Second Amendment rights. In fact, his own website touts his opposition to Americans owning “high-capacity magazines” — the same type of magazine that his own staffer brought into the Capitol building.
“Since being elected to Congress, Joe has authored and co-sponsored legislation that takes critical steps to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, enact universal background checks on all gun sales, and keep illegal guns off our streets,” Morelle’s website states.
The staffer himself has also previously mocked conservatives about gun control:
BREAKING
Comms director for Dem rep Joe Morelle was caught with ammo and a high capacity magazine by the Capitol Police
He has previously posted about mocking conservatives about gun control pic.twitter.com/2bKQuc5BQt
— Pharmwhistleblower (@pharmwhistlblow) December 2, 2024
There are x-ray machines at each entrance to all of the House and Senate office buildings that are designed to scan for weapons and other illegal materials as employees or members of the public enter the buildings. Staff members are allowed to carry small knives, while lawmakers are able to keep some types of firearms in their offices.
